There are no shortcuts to extend the lifespan of our nation's 600,000-plus aging bridges. The LTBP Program is amassing volumes of data, perfecting data analysis, improving preservation methods, and optimizing management strategies to improve bridge performance, durability, longevity, and safety.

Starting in 2008, LTBP is envisioned as a 20-year comprehensive examination of our nation’s “workhorse” highway bridges—structures we drive on every day—which include what many people commonly think of as elevated roadways. The study hopes to provide a more detailed and timely picture of bridge health, improve our knowledge of bridge performance, and ultimately, promote the safety, mobility, longevity, and reliability of our nation’s highway transportation assets.

LTBP researchers:

Inspect, evaluate, and monitor a representative sample of bridges nationwide

Examine all the physical and functional variables that affect bridge performance

Create a comprehensive database of quantitative data on bridge performance

Analyze and apply the data gathered to facilitate improved life-cycle cost and predictive models, better understanding of bridge deterioration, and more effective maintenance and repair strategies

Support improved design and building methods and bridge preservation practices and help develop the next generation of bridge management systems

Funding for LTBP was included in legislation for surface transportation programs enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (a href="http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/index.htm" title="SAFTEA-LU">SAFETEA-LU